Renovating a home and HomeBuilder grant

Supporting documents

You need to provide these documents. They do not need to be certified.

• A copy of the building contract dated between 4 June 2020 and 31 March 2021
• A copy of your Australian Taxation Office notice of assessment for the year ended 30 June 2019 or 30 June 2020 with your tax file number concealed (If applying with your spouse, you both must provide the notice for the same year.)
• A copy of your Australian birth certificate, Australian passport or Australian citizenship certificate
• A copy of photo ID such as an Australian driver licence, Australian proof of age card or Australian firearm licence (not needed if you have provided a copy of your Australian passport)
• Certificates to confirm name change or marital status (e.g. marriage, divorce, death, separation)
• Evidence of the value of your home (house and land) before the renovations, such as a market appraisal
  Market appraisal

  In general, a market appraisal is something that an owner obtains from a valuer or real estate agent to ascertain the value of their property. The Commissioner will generally accept a written market appraisal from a registered valuer or real estate agent who are able to support their opinion with at least 3 recent comparable sales in the last 12 months.

  If it is not possible to give at least 3 recent comparable sales—for example, because the residential property is located in an area where sales are infrequent—the Commissioner will consider the evidence of market value submitted. Further corroboration may be required based on factors like the location of the property, the type of property and the interval between sales.

   or bank valuation. This evidence must be within 3 months before the renovations commenced.
• A copy of a title search or the registration confirmation statement
  Registration confirmation statement

  HomeBuilder grant

  This is the document that proves that you were recorded as the registered owner(s) of the property at the time you acquire it.

  Contact Titles Queensland for a current title search (to show you own the property) if you don’t have this document.

   that shows you and your spouse (if applying as a couple) as registered owners on the title
• Evidence of when construction commenced
  Construction commenced

  HomeBuilder grant

  The date construction commenced for:

  • building a home—is the date excavation and site preparation work began
  • buying a home—is the date excavation and site preparation work began
  • renovating an existing home—is the date building work began
  • demolishing and building a home (combined contract)—is the date demolition work began
  • demolishing and building a home (separate contracts)—is the date building work began under the contract to build.
  , including the first invoice issued for work carried out under the renovation contract and receipts to show that $150,000 has been paid to your builder.

Check the status of your application

• Incomplete—you have started your application but information is missing. We will not process incomplete applications. You need to complete your application by 30 June 2025.
• Documents required—you have not provided all the documents we need. All supporting documents must be provided by 30 June 2025 to complete your application. We will not process an application in this status.
• Submitted for processing—your application is ready to be processed. It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct supporting documents were provided. If you are unsure, email homebuildergrant@treasury.qld.gov.au now.
• Lodged—your application has progressed. It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct supporting documents are provided before 30 June 2025. If you need to provide more documents, you must email them to homebuildergrant@treasury.qld.gov.au now.

Log in and check the status of your application.

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When the grant is paid

The grant is paid into your nominated bank account once construction has commenced and at least $150,000 of the contract price for renovations has been paid to the builder.

The grant is:

• $25,000 for contracts signed between 4 June and 31 December 2020
• $15,000 for contracts signed between 1 January and 31 March 2021.

Your obligations

You must move into your renovated home as your principal place of residence after the renovations have been completed, and live there continuously for 6 months.

You can rent out one or more rooms in the home during this 6-month period, as long as this arrangement doesn’t affect your use of the home. However, demolishing the existing home or renting out any rooms in the first year after you first move in may affect your eligibility for the first home concession or a first home vacant land concession.

We may ask you to verify that you have met these requirements later, by providing us with documents that support the period of occupancy for all applicants.

Requirements for renovating applications

• You must meet the eligibility criteria.
  Eligibility criteria

  For the HomeBuilder grant, these criteria apply to all persons, whether they applied as an individual or as part of a couple.

  • You must not have previously received a HomeBuilder grant in any state or territory of Australia.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age. (Companies and trusts cannot apply.)
  • You must be an Australian citizen at the time you apply.
  • Your 2018–19 or 2019–20 annual taxable income must be below:
    • $125,000 for an individual
      or
    • $200,000 for a couple.
  • You will be the registered owner on the title.
  • The home will be your principal place of residence after completion or settlement.
  • The contract is signed between 4 June 2020 and 31 March 2021 to:
    • buy an off-the plan or new home valued at $750,000 or less (including GST) where construction commences within 18 months of the date you sign the contract (but not before 4 June 2020)
      or
    • build a new home where the build amount and the value of the land (including any existing structures) is $750,000 or less (including GST) and the date construction commences is within 18 months after you sign the contract
      or
    • substantially renovate an existing home, where all the following apply
      • the date construction commences is within 18 months after the date you sign the contract
      • renovations cost between $150,000 and $750,000 (including GST)
      • the value of property (home and land before renovation) is less than $1.5 million.
• Your contract is with a licensed builder, whose licence began before:
  • 4 June 2020 for contracts signed before 29 November 2020
  • 29 November 2020 for contracts signed on or after that date.
• The contract to renovate—or demolish and build—your home was signed between 4 June 2020 and 31 March 2021.
• The contract was entered into at arm’s length
  Arm’s length

  A contract is at ‘arm’s length’ when it is made by 2 parties acting freely and independently of each other, and without offering favour as a result of some special relationship, such as being related to one another. The terms of the contract should be commercially reasonable, and the contract price should not be deflated or inflated compared to the fair market price.

  Where parties are related to each other, the applicant may be required to show that the transaction is at a fair market price. This could be done, for example, by obtaining a professional opinion from another builder, as to the value of the construction work.

   or otherwise at a fair market price.
• You were the owner of the property when you entered into the contract.
• The value of property before renovation (house and land) was less than $1.5 million.
• The contracted renovations cost between $150,000 and $750,000 (including GST).
• Building work under the contract must have commenced within 18 months of signing the contract.
• You must not be performing any of the construction work yourself under the contract.
• You must have been invoiced for and paid at least $150,000 (including GST) in construction costs under your contract by 30 June 2025.

Substantial renovations

Renovations must substantially alter the existing dwelling, to make the property more livable and improve its accessibility or safety.

They do not need to involve removal or replacement of foundations, external walls, interior supporting walls, floors, roof or staircases.

A substantial renovation includes demolishing an existing home and building a new home on the land.

Examples of works that do not qualify include:

• landscaping
• standalone granny flats
• swimming pools and tennis courts
• structures that are not connected to the home (i.e. fences, outdoor spas and saunas, sheds or standalone garages).

Examples

In these examples, the individuals also need to meet the eligibility criteria and application deadlines.

Also consider…

• You might also be eligible for:
  • First home owner grant
  • Regional home building boost grant.
• Find out about transfer duty home concessions.